Yoga Poses for Sleep

(July 25, 2008)

Is there any yoga posture for sleep?

A fundamental rule to sound sleep, according to the practice of yoga is to have affirmed grounding in self-awareness and self-regulation. If you have been having a difficult time in getting sound sleep at night, then getting involved in a daily session of yoga every day will help cure insomnia or sleeplessness. Daily exercise helps people sleep better at night, and vigorous forms of yoga such as power yoga or Bikram yoga and Ashtanga yoga can help you to get that blissful sleep at night. However did not attend any form of intensive work out or exercise just before you go to bed, as it can leave you wide-awake all-night. Exercise must be done either early in the morning, or during the brighter parts of the day. If you desire, you can attempt a few simple stretches to get rid of the day's tension and stress and bring about relaxation. The happy baby pose as well as the goddess pose can be done while lying on the bed, and these yoga poses can help you feel more relaxed and pave the way for a good night's sleep.

The corpse pose is a perfect way to end the day, as it helps the individual to focus on every part of the body and loosen or relax it. The corpse pose must begin by lying on the bed and closing one's eyes, concentrating on relaxing every part of the body, beginning from the toes and moving up wards till the head. Do not allow your mind to wander while performing this pose, but concentrate your attention towards your breathing pattern. By doing so, you are taking our much-needed break from your cluttered mind to relaxing both the body and mind. This pose allows the body to prepare for sleep. A simple ten minutes of yoga exercise is more than sufficient to bring about uninterrupted and restful sleep. The supported downward dog pose is known to stretch the spinal column and relax the mind. It is one of the important poses in soothing jangled nerves and helping one rest the mind.

Most importantly, do not take the day's worries into bed with you, as conflicting thoughts and emotions greatly affect sleep patterns and bring about sleepless nights. Avoid caffeinated drinks before bedtime and these are known to fuel sleep disorders. Your last meal before bedtime should be at least the hours prior to sleeping. Sleeping with a full stomach can cause various disorders in addition to sleeplessness, such as acidity and indigestion.

Submitted by C D on July 25, 2008 at 05:25